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Thread: Diagnostic scanner/reset/tool for E38, E46, E53 ...

  1. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Bolton, MA
    Posts
    876
    My Cars
    2001 740iL, 2001 325Ci
    Quote Originally Posted by Frankie View Post
    Could you post a link to an electronic copy of the manual? Or is it available in the seller's eBay ad?

    I suppose I/M readiness would be either a menu option or display as a part of a complete system scan, perhaps at the bottom of the results or something...
    I believe my tool has the "complete system scan", but, "complete" may mean different things to different people. Attached are pictures of the manual as I could not find a link online.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    '01 325Ci Convertible, 5-speed
    '01 740iL, Stahlblau with beige interior & 18" M-Pars, GROM bluetooth
    '03 X5 3.0 six cyl, Gray on gray

  2. #27
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Texas, USA
    Posts
    1,944
    My Cars
    '01 740i, '99 528iT
    Found it! Section 6.4: "Select the OBDII/EOBC icon from main screen and press ENTER"

    The sample tables below the text clearly show not only the I/M Readiness option but the MIL Status option (is CEL on?). This means the tool can be used to evaluate a potential car purchase with confidence.

    This confirms it for me. I will now buy this tool.

    Good job, thanks!

    P.S. If you feel like it, post a picture of the results screen after one of these scans.

    Frankie
    Texas, USA
    frankies-bmw.com

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    4,176
    My Cars
    E53, E38, E34, E39T
    I try to check in with bf.c as much as I can, but since their android app wend down years ago, it's a smite more taxing to long in via machine.

    Couple of things I've discovered over the years of buying different things to connect to my cars (E53, E38, E39, E34). Get something you're comfortable with, but expect a learning curve. What I love about INPA, DIS, Progman etc is that just about every procedure I'd like to do is documented somewhere, can can be found with some google sleuthing. As with anything worth doing, one gets better at interpreting scan data the more they do it.

    If you're looking for something cheap and easy to scan and perhaps change certain module attributes(say lock doors at 5 km/h, turn of brake linings warning etc) you can get PA soft. I'd advise to purchase from this ebay dude in Latvia, as the Amazon stuff will only work on XP, if it works at all. This software only works for E38, e39, e46 and e53

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Scanner...~bP3:rk:1:pf:0

    I myself have never owned or used software outside of the INPA/DIS/Progman/Tool32 family, so I cannot give a use comparison.

    I do sell machines loaded with INPA, DIS, Progman, NCS Expert, WinKfp, TIS, Nav Coder and PA soft. If anyone is interested, feel free to send me a PM, I'd be happy to help.





    Some Places remain unknown because no one has ventured forth. Others remain so because no one has ever come back......

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Bolton, MA
    Posts
    876
    My Cars
    2001 740iL, 2001 325Ci
    Cool. Will do. Just make sure, if you have an E38 to get the 20 pin connector.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    '01 325Ci Convertible, 5-speed
    '01 740iL, Stahlblau with beige interior & 18" M-Pars, GROM bluetooth
    '03 X5 3.0 six cyl, Gray on gray

  5. #30
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Texas, USA
    Posts
    1,944
    My Cars
    '01 740i, '99 528iT
    This is troubling:

    I had a vehicle inspection service look at a BMW E39 I'm interested in buying. The service included a fault code scan. In the report was this:

    Computer system scanned: no problems with current or pending codes. No problems with live data. It is possible for some sneaky sellers to erase codes before we arrive, in which case some issues may be hidden.

    Either the inspector's scan tool can't read I/M status (unlikely, since all cheapo generic readers can do this) or he doesn't know how to use it. Here's an example of a business whose job it is to inspect cars -- meaning: they're getting paid to do this -- yet they are unable to provide the customer with decisive scan results due to unawareness or inability to fully utilize the OBDII protocol. As I said, too many of us are still clueless regarding the use of scan tools...even though the OBDII standard has been in place since 1996!

    Had the inspector read the I/M and CEL status, he would have known if codes were re-set before his visit. Now I'm left wondering "is the car REALLY clear of codes?"

    How disappointing.

    Frankie
    Texas, USA
    frankies-bmw.com

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Red Bank, Nj, USA
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2007 BMW X3

    CarSoft

    Quote Originally Posted by Frankie View Post
    I'm still confused.

    The link to the CarSoft ad in my post shows images for Mercedes while the title says it's for BMW. The seller responded to my inquiry and confirmed his listing was indeed for the BMW-specific reader (he didn't indicate he would correct the pictures though). Meanwhile, the pictures in jpilk99's two links are different (one has function keys left of the screen while the other does not) but both seem to be "for BMW". I thought one could be an older version but one says "BM II" and the other "BMM V2". Could the readers for England be that different?

    jpilk99: When it arrives, please let us know what your CarSoft tool actually looks like. Any functional reviews would be great too.
    Is this tool the same as the one on the iCarSoft.com website? With such a difference in price, I wonder if they are the same.

  7. #32
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Texas, USA
    Posts
    1,944
    My Cars
    '01 740i, '99 528iT

    CarSoft Review

    As mentioned in post #27, I purchased the iCarSoft BMII scan tool from a vendor on eBay. Mine was a bit different than the one jpilk99 received: it did not have the F1/F2 buttons on the left side, and it came with an owners manual booklet, not pamphlet. I purchased the 20-pin adapter cable as well. Total cost: $160.

    After plugging in to my '01 740, I first ran a full OBD scan. I was happy to see complete results including I/M readiness and MIL status (Check Engine light):

    740_obd.jpg

    740_im_readiness.jpg

    As expected, the tool has pig-English translations which belie its obvious Chinese origins (what does "Ignition: Spark" mean?). Next I ran a full BMW scan, to explore just how many proprietary BMW systems it could access. To my utter disappointment, it could only access 5 out of 44 systems:

    740_diagnostics.jpg

    It couldn't even access my nav unit....which I can do with NavCoder for free!:

    740_nav.jpg

    Yes I was using the 20-pin, under-hood "Pacman" cable. I then ran a similar scan on my '99 528. The results were the same: only 5 out of 44 systems accessed:

    528_diagnosics.jpg

    This is completely unacceptable, especially for a tool that is meant for BMW. This is the same experience I had with Bavarian Technic software. It too was only capable of accessing a half-dozen systems....and it was made for BMW!

    As is, this CarSoft tool is only slightly better than a generic store-bought scanner which can be had for $65. I feel embarrassed for CarSoft. And I now have reason to doubt competing tools such as Foxwell could do better.

    The seller has graciously agreed to take it back. He seemed genuinely surprised to learn of its limitations (which I photo-documented). Sadly, these tools are over-sold. CarSoft advertises a full list of BMW systems on their website, which leads the prospective buyer to believe they will have access to these systems. Then they under-deliver. I don't mean to be harsh, but some might call this false advertising.

    I'm done fooling around. It's clear to me now that only a full-up factory diagnostic computer is going to provide any capability. I will soon be in touch with Trasportador for a "real" system. No more toys.
    Last edited by Frankie; 04-16-2019 at 11:08 AM.

    Frankie
    Texas, USA
    frankies-bmw.com

  8. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Wayne,PA
    Posts
    1,511
    My Cars
    740iL (E38 '01)
    This is strange, I can access all modules with my iCarSoft, though different version than the one you tried.

  9. #34
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Texas, USA
    Posts
    1,944
    My Cars
    '01 740i, '99 528iT
    Quote Originally Posted by georgebest View Post
    ...I can access all modules with my iCarSoft...
    Are you sure?

    Performing a "manual" scan will display a menu with ALL systems shown, but they are not all readable by Carsoft. Whereas, performing an "automatic" scan will display a menu only of readable systems. For example:

    1) Select "Automatic" scan:

    screen6.jpg

    2) Results show only readable (accessible) systems:

    740_diagnostics.jpg

    3) Select "Manual" scan:

    screen7.jpg

    4) Results show ALL systems:

    screen7.1.jpg

    This is deceiving, leading one to think all 44 systems are accessible. But attempting to access a system NOT displayed in the "automatic" result set will produce an error:

    740_nav.jpg

    Note also my Carsoft unit has been updated with the most recent software.

    Frankie
    Texas, USA
    frankies-bmw.com

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